(The Center Square) – California employers added 58,100 nonfarm payroll jobs in January compared with 23,400 in December, but the Golden State’s unemployment rate rose to 5.2%, up slightly from December’s 5.1%, according to the Employment Development Department (EDD). This
employment data comes from the survey week including January 12.
The national unemployment rate was 3.7% in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On this data point, the California economy continues to underperform compared with the U.S. economy.
In January 10 of 11 of California’s industry sectors added jobs compared with six of 11 creating new employment in December.
Private education and health services employers led the way in
job creation with 18,100 new jobs in January, thanks to robust hiring at nursing care facilities, and individual and family services, according to the EDD. Professional and business services added 15,700 jobs in January after shedding 3,800 of them in December. January’s strong employment rebound in this sector is a result in part of hiring for specialized design services, investigation and security services, and services to buildings and
dwellings, the EDD reported.
The manufacturing sector shed 800 jobs in January, “due, in part, to above-average losses in the semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing industry group,” according to the EDD.
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On March 8, Governor Gavin Newsom Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of the California Jobs First Council and operational plan to consolidate and streamline the state’s economic and workforce development programs to increase the pace of job creation.
“California has created more opportunities, more jobs,” he said in a statement, “and more businesses than any other state, but we need to ensure that we’re all moving forward together. Through this new council and these investments, we’re aligning all of our economic resources to create more jobs, faster for Californians in every community.”
